Diageo encourages Europeans to “think how they drink” with a new responsible drinking campaign

Diageo, the leading alcohol producer and parent company of such brands and Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Guinness to name a few, is rolling out a new online responsible drinking campaign “Think How You Drink” across Europe to demonstrate how ridiculous drunk people may look.

The initiative includes a video that comes as a compilation of short documentary clips, featuring real people who behave absurdly because they are drunk. “Have you ever seen any of your mates take a Nosedive or do the Lost Shoe Shuffle after too much to drink? What’s your most embarrassing performance in a drinking role? Don’t let a big night out with your mates bring you social shame,” says the description to the spot. The video is debuting in the UK and will later roll out in Ireland, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Along with the spot, the company has created an online DrinkIQ calculator to show how much physical exercise people need to burn the calories from the alcohol (various portions and liquors) and how much time is needed to get their body to process the alcohol. For instance, after drinking a Guinness pint, you’ll have to burn 204 calories and wait for 2.4 hours before the alcohol leaves you.

“We know that drinking to excess is a serious issue—but our primary concern is to be effective. The message, that drinking can have harmful consequences, is still in there and it is a strong message,” commented Malcolm D’Sa, marketing innovation director for Diageo Western Europe. “We’ve just approached it in a different way. Most young adults enjoy a drink as part of their lives without it being a problem. We want to reach out to the minority that drink too much, make them think and encourage them to change their habits.”